Drug Overdose Deaths Continued to Rise in 2010, Driven by Opioids

Why it matters locally: West Virginia has historically faced some of the nation's highest rates of opioid addiction and overdose deaths, making this national trend of particular concern for the state's public health infrastructure and communities already struggling with substance abuse.

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Atlanta – Drug overdose deaths in the United States increased for the 11th straight year in 2010, according to research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), detailed the continuous rise in fatalities attributed to drug overdoses. The CDC analysis, titled "Pharmaceutical Overdose Deaths, United States, 2010," presented data on the rate of overdoses throughout the year. The agency gave no further explanation about the specific data within the journal article or the reasons for the increase in overdose deaths.